Head - Manufacturing Engineering

Head - Manufacturing Engineering Department: Manufacturing Engineering Location: Chennai / Hyderabad Reporting: President Purpose of the Role: To lead the Manufacturing Engineering function across all manufacturing facilities by developing world-class manufacturing processes, improving productivity, reducing costs, and driving automation and digital manufacturing initiatives, while supporting new product industrialisation and ensuring best-in-class Quality, Safety, Delivery, and Cost (QSDC) performance. The role will also establish standardised manufacturing systems that strengthen the organisation's competitiveness across both domestic and global markets. Key Responsibilities: Manufacturing Strategy: - Develop and execute the Manufacturing Engineering strategy in alignment with the organisation's business objectives and build manufacturing capability to support future growth. - Establish technology roadmaps for all manufacturing plants, benchmark global best practices, and drive manufacturing competitiveness across every product division. - Strengthen manufacturing performance by improving process capability, reducing cycle time, enhancing material yield and labour productivity, elimination of NVA and standardising processes across all manufacturing facilities. Process Automation: - Lead process automation and standardisation initiatives across all facilities in line with Industry 4.0 principles and digital manufacturing standards to eliminate human requirement or deskill. - Introduce automated material-handling systems and vision-based inspection systems to improve product quality, process consistency, and throughput. New Product Industrialisation: - Partner with the R&D and Product Development teams to design products for manufacturability (DFM) and to develop robust, scalable manufacturing processes for new product introductions. Capital Projects: - Lead capital projects end to end, including technology selection and equipment specification, to ensure the most suitable manufacturing technologies are adopted across all plants. Cost Optimisation: - Drive sustained cost reduction through the deskilling of operations, process optimisation, automation, productivity improvement, and simplification of manufacturing processes. Educational Qualification: - Any Engineering degree in Mechanical, Production, Industrial, Polymer, Manufacturing Engineering, Rubber Technology & Mechatronics / Controls & Instrumentation. - A Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certification, together with strong knowledge of Lean Manufacturing and Operational Excellence methodologies, is preferred. Behavioural Competencies: - Effective conflict-resolution and team-building skills, combined with the perseverance and personal ability to drive complex initiatives through collaborative approach. - A mindset that consistently challenges the status quo and champions continuous improvement across the organisation. Experience: - 18 - 25 years of experience in manufacturing engineering, including a minimum of 8 - 10 years in a senior leadership role. - Experience in the rubber, polymer, automotive, belts, hoses, sealing systems, or process manufacturing industries. - A proven track record of working in multi-plant manufacturing environments and of leading large-scale automation projects. Areas of Particular Emphasis: - Driving manufacturing excellence across multiple product businesses, including power transmission belts, hoses, sealing systems, and other polymer-engineered products. - Standardising manufacturing processes and best practices across all plants. - Accelerating automation in rubber processing, belt building, inspection, and material handling. - Building a high-performance Manufacturing Engineering organisation capable of supporting future expansion, operational excellence, and sustainable growth.